'Listen to Him!'

Note from Jesus

Dear Disciple,

To whom are you listening? Let Me put that in plainer language, but poorer English: Who are you listening to most in your life?

The one you choose to hear and what you believe from what you hear impacts your life choices. You can listen to many voices. You can listen to your "inner me" voice to tell yourself what you think of yourself. You can listen to the voice of your past hurts, failures, disappointments, and disasters. You can choose to listen to the voice of an enemy, critic, coach, teacher, or professor. You can choose to believe the words of your favorite songwriter, favorite movie star, or favorite sports hero. You can live in the shadow of the words of a family member, boss, friend, or even an enemy. The choices seem endless.

So I'm going to ask My question to you again: To whom are you listening most in your life?

Peter, James, and John — My very closest disciples — were with Me during an amazing and bewildering experience. In fact, something happened to them in this experience that they believed at the time was the greatest thing they had ever witnessed: they saw Moses and Elijah. For every faithful Jew up until that time, Moses was the greatest leader of God's people. He was the one through whom they received the Torah. For every believing Israelite up until this time, Elijah was the greatest prophet of all the prophets. He spoke the very words of God with courage, accompanied by miraculous power when necessary. Here I was with these two heroes. That meant I was something truly special, and they were My friends. Peter couldn't imagine anything better than building a shrine to each of us. At this moment, Peter suddenly realized that his friend Jesus was as great as Moses and Elijah. Poor Peter, he just didn't know what he was saying and what he would learn through his life of following Me!

The Father, however, wanted them all to know the truth: Someone far greater than Moses and Elijah had come and was among them. That greater One is Me — Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God!

The Father wanted My disciples to know that I wasn't just another good religious teacher with great things to say. The Father wanted them to realize that I AM the ONE to Whom they must listen above all others, that I AM greater than the greatest of all other religious heroes they could imagine! The Father said:

This is My Son! This is the One I have chosen! Listen to Him!

So I'm going to ask My question to you again: To whom are you listening most in your life?

Verses to Live

The introduction to this story about My time with Peter, James, and John sounds eerily like a story on the night of My arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-53): I am praying. My closest disciples are sleeping. They can't grasp any threat of My being killed in relation to My identity. They are confused by what happens. Their loyalty to Me is challenged. And, they see My glory, but revealed in shockingly different ways. Each of the two events — My transfiguration described in the verses below and My passion — demands that they look to Me and listen to Me. In the events in the following account, the Father demands that the disciples who were with Me, and you dear friend, listen to Me as your truth. The later event, the passion (betrayal, trials, crucifixion, and resurrection), demands that you listen to Me out of love for what I did for you. So I ask you one last time: To whom are you listening most in your life?

... Jesus went away to pray. This time He took along only Peter, John, and James. They climbed a mountainside and came to a place of solitude.

Jesus began to pray and the disciples tried to stay awake, but their eyes grew heavier and heavier and finally they all fell asleep. When they awakened, they looked over at Jesus and saw something inexplicable happening. Jesus was changing before their eyes, beginning with His face. It seemed to glow. The glow spread, and even His clothing took on a blinding whiteness. Then, two figures appeared in the glorious radiance emanating from Jesus. The three disciples somehow knew that these figures were Moses and Elijah. Peter, James, and John overheard the conversation that took place among Jesus, Moses, and Elijah — a conversation that centered on Jesus' "departure" and how He would accomplish this departure from the capital city, Jerusalem.

The glow began to fade, and it was clear that Moses and Elijah were about to disappear.

Peter (to Jesus):

Please, Master, it is good for us to be here and see this. Can we make three structures — one to honor You, one to honor Moses, and one to honor Elijah, to try to capture what's happening here?

Peter had no idea what he was saying.

While he spoke a cloud descended, and they were enveloped in it, and fear fell on them. Then a voice came out of everywhere and nowhere at once.

Voice from Heaven:

This is My Son! This is the One I have chosen! Listen to Him!

Then the voice was silent, the cloud disappeared, and Moses and Elijah were gone. Peter, James, and John were left speechless, stunned, staring at Jesus Who now stood before them alone. For a long time, they did not say a word about this whole experience.
(Luke 9:28-36)

Response in Prayer

O Father, help me keep my heart, mind, and ears focused on Jesus. I want to hear His voice, obey His words, and follow His example. Dear Father, like Jesus, I want to fulfill Your will for my life, so I choose to listen to Jesus as my Lord — to let His words and His example be the filter through which I understand Your scriptures and to let Him be the goal of My life. In His name, Jesus my Savior and Lord, I pray. Amen.